Vulnerable
by sweetprincipale
Summary: A missing scene from the Mer Series Part XII: Eternity. What if Val had shown Will how much she wanted him when she needed him most? Short, mushy, potentially smutty.


**Vulnerable**

**By Sweetprincipale**

_A missing scene from the Mer Series Part XII: Eternity. What if Val had shown Will how much she wanted him when she needed him most? Short, mushy, potentially smutty._

**Part I**

From the Mer Part XII by M. Culler

"Thanks for coming to check on me. I didn't want to be around anyone for a little bit."

"Oh, sure. It's been a rough- wow. It's just been rough."

"See you at dinner? Or uh- breakfast. I guess I missed dinner." It was late now, well after dark, probably after midnight.

"It's always open. You can go get something any time of the day or night during the gathering. Or you can get your own food. You're getting pretty handy with that knife."

We both froze. The knife that had slashed through Liam's skin in a fit of justified rage.

"Not hungry," I whispered with a tiny smile. "Just tired. I'm going back to sleep."

"Goodnight, Val."

Stay. I wanted to ask him to stay. We'd slept together in the same room several times. It was comforting. The worst situations seemed less bad when he was nearby. But I guessed with the weird feelings I was having it was better not to ask him to be so close._ Vulnerable isn't a good look on me and he's Mr. Willing to Help._

Images darted through my mind. Yeah. Will would never "help" in the wrong way.

Even if that was tempting to think about.

"See you later, Will."

* * *

The vulnerability may not look good on me- but depression doesn't look good on me, either. Thoughts spun through my mind. I wanted to crash. Collapse. Possibly not get back up.

That's not a good path. "Will?" I hissed outside of the stone doorway.

"Val?" He zipped back up to me, even before I could finish stepping back inside.

"I - I'm not okay."

"I know, baby," his arm suddenly reached for me, and I let myself fall forward. Hugging him.

Only this time we didn't stop at hugging. His lips pressed my hairline. I kissed his smooth, blue shoulder, nestling on him.

"I don't want you to go tonight."

"I don't want to go. At all. Ever." Will dropped his arms, but as I clung to him, I noticed that our fins interlocked. I let out a little gasp.

Oh my God. Like- like those feelings you're not supposed to have, never supposed to have with just a best friend. Wetness that had nothing to do with water was warming me inside.

"I- We should lay down. Get some sleep," Will cleared his throat and spoke in a tight, tense voice.

I nodded. Then shook my head. Then nodded again.

"What's wrong?" Will easily read my blatant confusion.

"I need to- talk to Ella. No, Angela."

Will tilted his head. "Why? Why not me?"

"I… I don't know if you're going to be able to answer this one."

"I could try."

"I can't ask you."

"Oh. Is it a girl thing?"

"Sort of. A woman thing. Married woman thing."

"Oh. Oh." Will looked uncomfortable. "I'm still your friend. Maybe I could help?"

"Maybe. Where do couples go… if they want privacy?"

I watched his chest fall and rise more rapidly, pupils dilate. God, this guy was gorgeous. And Mers didn't have to have a formal ceremony to make a physical commitment. He threw his life in with mine. He said he'd go where I'd go. What more commitment could I ask? "Well… Their own homes. Or they find a place with a door that shuts and without windows, or a place that's very secluded."

"This isn't secluded."

"Do we need privacy?" Will's smooth, warm voice deepened, almost a purr against my skin. We both looked startled.

I dropped my eyes guiltily. "I'm sorry. No, we don't, I'm just… it's a cliche, but I'm a mess and vulnerable and I-"

"I almost lost you. Almost lost myself. Scared, angry, sad- lonely. In love."

"In love?" I echoed. Then, sounding stupid, I'm sure, "With me, right?"

A smile ghosted over his lips. "With you, yes."

"I'm asking you to do something wrong, aren't I?" I winced around the words.

"Do you want to be with me? Or is this just- just a hug with different body parts involved?"

"The first one," I murmured, able to connect to this person, our fins laced together, but struggling to meet his eyes.

"If you were in love with me and you wanted this to be permanent-"

"I do. I mean, I don't do a good job of showing it, but I do."

"You know," he spoke quietly, stroking m hair back, "we could go someplace private and we could show each other without any pressure to -uh- to do- uh-"

"Married people stuff?"

"Exactly. Married people stuff. Is that- a bad thing if that stuff happens?" Wait. What am I asking? Do I want to have sex with Will? I've never had sex with anyone. I don't think he has, either. This is a huge deal. This is wrong, if we're not sure.

"No. Mer don't have to pledge themselves except to each other. You just have to be sure you want me." Will's words echoed the thoughts in my head. "If you're not sure, that's fine! We can hold onto each other with nothing new added. Just you being next to me is enough to make me happy. You get that, don't you, Val?"

"Yes. I get that. When you tell me those things… I'm very sure that I want to be with you. I don't know why you want to be with my control-freak self, but if you do…"

"I do. Very much. Because I _love_ you."

My heart was hurting and full of fissures and grief. But there was a bright warm spot inside, suddenly. "I love you, too."

_To be continued..._


End file.
